One Week of Terror
by Doggerwolf
Summary: Rudolph remembers three years ago, when Arrow tormented him and Zoey in the most horrifying week of their lives. Rated M for language and violence
1. Prologue

_Zoey lay on the ground, blood covering her chest._

 _Her parents lay dead in giant red pools of blood._

 _Rudolph runs over and begins to cradle Zoey._

Rudolph sat up in bed with his heart pounding and covered in sweat. He looked at the clock. It was two in the morning. To make sure he was dreaming, he looked to his right, breathing heavily.

Zoey slept soundly beside him. She wasn't bleeding from her chest. She wasn't injured.

He let out a heavy sigh of relief.

His fiancée woke up from this.

"Rudolph? Are you okay?"

He kissed her full on the mouth before he pulled away.

"Did you have the nightmare again?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

He paused. "Yeah, but let's just go back to sleep."

"Rudolph, why are you having this nightmare over and over?"

Rudolph looked at her. This would be the first time he told her about the details.

"You're covered in blood."

"What?"

"In the dream. I saw your dead parents. And just when when I start to hold you, I feel your body loosing it's warmth."

Zoey was surprised by this. That had happened nearly four years ago.

She threw her foreleg around him. "It's okay, now. I'm alive, and here we are." Then she paused. "My parents would be so happy for us." Tears began to run down her face.

Rudolph hated seeing her like this. He wrapped his forelegs around her and began kissing away her tears.

"They are, Zoey." he said, before kissing her full mouth again. "They are. Now let's go back to sleep."

"Goodnight, Rudolph."

He wrapped a foreleg around her. "Goodnight, sweetie."

She fell asleep immediately.

Rudolph smiled.

He remembered three years ago.


	2. The Encounter

_Three years earlier..._

Rudolph walked down the road with Zoey by his side. He had a very special gift for her.

"So, Rudolph, what is this surprise?" she asked.

"Just wait. We're getting close."

He then lead her to the end of an alley.

"Uh, Rudolph, what does this have to do with the surprise?"

He leaned in close to her. "It has a lot to do with it." Then he leaned in and in less than a second his mouth was on hers.

Zoey's eyes became the size of dinner plates, then she fell into the kiss. She fell in love his lips; so soft and warm. To Rudolph, her lips were the sweetest things ever. She wrapped both forelegs around his neck.

Arrow was walking down the street when he heard the commotion down in the alley. The split second he saw Rudolph kissing Zoey, anger built up in every single part of the body.

Rudolph spilled every single piece of his feelings into the kiss, and he knew Zoey loved it.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" yelled an angry voice.

Rudolph pulled away from Zoey and turned around. Arrow stood behind them, wearing the same look he had when Rudolph almost kissed Zoey's cheek underneath the mistletoe when they were yearlings.

"Kissing my doe, huh?" Arrow sneered. "Well, you're in for something."

Zoey walked up to Rudolph's side. "Go away, Arrow. It's none of your business."

Arrow turned his attention to her. "Shut up! You cheated on me!"

Zoey rolled her eyes. "Get real, Arrow! I'm attracted to Rudolph, not you!"

Arrow backed off. "All right. You two win for now! But just you wait!"

He stormed off.

"Idiot." Zoey muttered.

"Well, he's gone now." Then Rudolph got back on topic.

"So, uh, did you like your surprise?" His nose glowed, causing Zoey to giggle.

"I loved it. Was that your way of asking me out?"

"How did you know?" he joked.

"I just know. And yes, I'd love to be your doefriend."

Rudolph grinned. "I'll see you later."

"Yes, you will." She kissed his cheek then reluctantly left.

Rudolph was now jumping up and down. _She loves me! She loves me!_


	3. The Love Letters

Rudolph was taking a nap, dreaming about Zoey.

The buck woke to a knock at the door. When he answered it, Zoey stood there, her face filled with fear.

"Zoey, what is it?"

"I think you should see this." She picked up a stack of envelopes.

...

They lay out the envelopes on the floors.

Rudolph opened one. " 'Zoey, I wish for you to dump the reject and return to me'?"

Zoey read another one. " 'Why go out with that loser when you can go out with me'?"

Rudolph felt a sickening feeling overcome him. It was a type of feeling that made his stomach twist and made him want to vomit.

"Just ignore them."

"But what if he-"

Rudolph kissed her softly. "He's an idiot. Just don't respond to him and maybe he'll go away."

Zoey smiled. "I have an idea."

She through all the letters into the fire.

And the two watched happily as the flames crackled and burned the letters into ashes.


	4. The Threats

The next day, Rudolph went over to Zoey's.

She opened the door with a horrified look.

"It's getting worse." she said.

...

There were more letters, but this time it was dark.

Death threats, insults. It kept coming.

"What do I do?" She leaned her head against Rudolph and began crying.

"Don't worry." Rudolph said. "I know what to do."

...

He spotted Arrow walking down the street.

"Arrow, we need to talk."

Arrow just turned and looked at him casually like he had been waiting for him the whole time.

"Look Arrow, you're scaring Zoey. I would like it if you would never try to contact her, write any uncomfortable letters, or make threats toward her again."

Rudolph turned and walked away, feeling everything was over.


	5. The Crime

Rudolph walked by Zoey's house when he heard the gunshots.

"Oh, my god! No! No!" Another shot. Then it was quiet.

The door had been forced open.

He walked in. The walls were pitted with blood. Zoey's parents lay dead. Her mother had been shot in the neck while her father had been shot in the face. Then he saw Zoey with the bullet hole in her chest. She gurgled and then coughed up blood.

...

Rudolph never left her bedside. She slept peacefully. The heart monitor beeped regularly.

Rudolph was angry. He would catch whatever bastard had done this to her.

...

When Zoey woke up, Rudolph was sitting at her bedside in the hospital. He hugged her tight enough that he squeezed out the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

"It's going to be okay." he cooed. "You're okay."

Zoey knew her parents were dead. But she also knew that she had to tell Rudolph.

"It was Arrow. I heard the gunshots. I walked in and he was with a hunter. I pleaded, but the hunter fired."

...

The next day was a beautiful day.

That was the day they found Arrow and the hunter.


	6. The Trial

The next year, Arrow was brought into court. He didn't know that Zoey was still alive.

Zoey was going to testify against Arrow. When the day came, she was ready to do this.

Rudolph was concerned about what might happen to her on the witness stand. "Are you sure your going to be okay up there by yourself?"

"Don't worry, Rudolph. I'll be fine."

...

Santa then called out what everyone was hoping for.

"The court now calls for the prosecution witness."

Zoey walked down the aisle with a calm face.

She walked by Arrow, who's face now looked as if he was going to die.

Zoey climbed on the stand.

"Zoey," Doggle said, "explain in detail what happened last night."

Zoey began. "I woke up to what sounded as if someone had busted the door open. I looked out my door, and Arrow was standing there."

"And what was he doing?"

"He was talking to my parents, asking where I was."

"Did your parents say anything back?"

"They said that he couldn't see me, and he better get going. I thought that was it, so I closed the door, and I heard Arrow say, 'Shoot them!' and then the gunshots."

"You walked out, and what did you see?"

"My parents were laying on the ground. Then I saw Arrow standing next to a hunter with a huge rifle. I begged for them not to shoot me, but Arrow pointed at me and the hunter shot me. They ran out the back. That's when Rudolph found me." Her voice shook as she said this. Then a tear rolled down her face.

Rudolph felt a lump in his throat. It was agonizing to see her cry. He would've ran up there and hugged her if he could. But he swallowed.

"Okay. Do you have anything to say to Arrow?"

"Actually, I do." She turned and looked at the buck who nearly took her life. "Arrow, I know how you feel about me. And it's not that I hate you. I think you're a great person. But you sometimes need to understand how to let things go. You can be jealous if you want. I won't blame you for that. But I'm dating Rudolph now. And you shouldn't blame him."

As she talked, Arrow's face had gotten more guilty than ever.

"I know why you were trying to kill me. If you couldn't have me, no one else could. But there are people out there who care about me. And there are people out there who care about you. Rudolph himself cares about you, even though you can't see it. You're his cousin. And the only way I can put all of this behind me is to forgive you. I hold no hard feelings towards you."

...

Rudolph and Zoey were there when they read the verdict.

Guilty.

Life without parole.

The weight was gone.

They were free.


	7. Back To The Future

_Present..._

When Rudolph finished up the final memory, the fear was gone. He could breathe normally. After years of never bringing it up or reflecting on it, it was all over. The nightmares. The fright. The horror. The evil. The anger. It was all over.

Once again, he sighed in relief and looked at his love.

Zoey was sleeping with her beautiful smile visible. She looked more beautiful than an angel.

The buck planted a sweet kiss on his fiancée's forehead and went off into a dreamless sleep.

...

Rudolph woke up happily. He noticed Zoey was also beginning to stir.

When she woke up, she smiled as soon as she saw Rudolph's wide grin.

She gave him a small kiss. "Well, someone's all bright and bushy-tailed this morning."

Rudolph looked into her eyes. "It's over."

"What's over?"

"The nightmares. Everything that I've been afraid of is over. Now my life is back to normal."

She looked at him with a suspicious but playful look. "You thought about that whole week, didn't you?"

He lay on top of her. "Yes, I did."

And they kissed happily, their life normal again.


End file.
